Francis A. Nogle leaves a musical legacy

Francis A. Nogle was a man of integrity, a man of honor who always gave his personal best and left an indelible imprint on music in Waynesboro.

His son, the Rev. Joel Nogle of Martinsburg, Pa., said everything his father did reflected his strong faith in God.

Nogle, who died Nov. 25 at age 91, was a music instructor in Waynesboro schools for decades and retired in 1985 as the head of the music department for the Waynesboro Area School District. He was also choir director at Waynesboro Church of the Brethren.

“Dad didn’t lie, he didn’t swear and he had terrific manners,” Joel Nogle said. “He was a very polite man, and he took that to his grave. Every nurse that took care of him told me how gracious he was. That’s the legacy he’d hope to leave behind.”Louise Nogle, his wife of more than 70 years, said her husband was a very dedicated musician whose desire was to have his students become as interested in music as he was.

“His students are very dedicated to him,” she said. “Even some in their 60s and 70s would still come to visit and write to him, giving him thanks for what he had done. He was a very devoted husband and father who will be very much missed by his family.”

His daughter, Carole (Nogle) Prohaska of Waynesboro said her father continued to receive calls and cards from students he had years ago.

“That really speaks volumes of the influence he had,” she said.

She also recalled how her father liked to take the family on vacation, often to historical places because he always wanted to learn new things.

His broad smile

Friend and colleague Gerald Kowallis said it is hard to picture Nogle without a broad smile on his face.

“The light of God was always on his face,” Kowallis added. “I have known a few really good people in my life, and Francis Nogle was certainly one of them.”Kowallis took over the high school music department when Nogle moved to East Junior High.

“I carried on the traditions basically that he established,” Kowallis said. “I kept the Tribesmen going, which he started in 1954, for all the years I taught there, and it’s still going on today.”

The importance of music

Jay Heefner of Waynesboro was one of Nogle’s students and also worked with him at East Junior High School.

“He was just a remarkable man,” Heefner said. “He taught me more about music than anyone I know. He taught me music appreciation and the understanding of what music really was. The importance of music in everyday life was his whole purpose.”

Heefner was part of the Tribesmen, the all-male chorus Nogle started.

“He wanted any male in the high school to be part of it. He didn’t care if you thought you couldn’t sing. He could teach you to sing. He wanted you to have fun. He wanted to teach us that there was more to life than girls and athletics and music was a part of that.”

Heefner said he never saw Nogle come into a class where he wasn’t upbeat with a smile on his face.

“He was one of my heroes in life,” Heefner added.

A mentor

Steve Engle of Alexandria, Pa., said Nogle was a mentor as he progressed with his love of music.

“He pretty much took me under his wing,” Engle said. “He encouraged me, mentored me and even gave me special classes in the summer that taught me music theory and harmony. He did that on his own time.”

Nogle also helped Engle write his first two choral anthems.

“I’ve had many mentors in my life, and Francis was my first and most important,” Engle noted. “I was able to see him in early September and thank him again for all he has done for me. He continued his encouragement up to the very end.”

A life educator

“He was first and foremost an educator,” Joel Nogle said of his father. “Not just about music education, though that was his primary outlet. He educated people about life. He never missed an opportunity to help people grow in their learning.”Joel Nogle said his father was very people-oriented, and made friends wherever he went.

“Despite the fact that he served in World War II and got an education, he never saw himself as any better than the next guy. He made it his business to get to know you, and if he could do anything for you, he would.”

Nogle will also be remembered for his selfless service to others. Joel Nogle said, “I can’t tell you how many lawns he mowed, and how many sidewalks he shoveled. He had a servant’s heart, and didn’t consider any task beneath him.”

Nogle also served as a conductor on the Red Run Express in Rouzerville’s Red Run Park for a number of years.

“He had a lifelong passion for trains,” Joel Nogle said. “He also loved children, and he loved the community. He always made sure he had something to do. No one could say he was idle. He didn’t sit still.”

Joel Nogle said he was with his father when he died.

“Because he was such a man of faith, he had a powerful death,” he said. “He lived a full 91 years. He gave it everything he had, and he died with a smile on his face. I didn’t shed a tear because you just had to be happy for him. You couldn’t add another chapter to his life.”

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